Support and Safety Hubs

I would like to see in place 1 organisation where you can just make one phone call to get the help you need...

– Anonymous submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence

A network of Support and Safety Hubs across Victoria will provide people with easy and early access to the assistance they need.

No matter where people live, they will have access to a physical Hub.

The Hubs will be contact points for victim survivors, family, friends and the community to access highly-skilled professionals, who will work with them to understand their risks and needs.

They will also provide clear referral points for police and other services handling cases of family violence.

We know women and children will continue to enter the system from different points. The success of the Hubs will depend on a network of services working in collaboration to support women, children and families over the long term.

We are working in partnership with local communities to make sure the Hubs can meet the unique needs of local areas across Victoria.

Hub design principles

Put people at the centre: from the very first contact, the Hubs will support women, children and families to decide what they need to be safe and to recover. The Hubs will work at the pace of the victim survivor so that they always have choice and control.

Be safe and accessible to all: the Hubs will be welcoming and safe places designed for the diversity of the people and communities accessing their services. Local communities will inform how the Hubs will be accessible and welcoming, including making sure that every Hub is culturally safe for Aboriginal and diverse communities.

A paramount focus on safety: the safety of victim survivors and children will be the Hubs’ first priority so that it is no longer their responsibility to keep themselves and their children safe. The Hubs will be able to prioritise safety through a new information-sharing regime.

Focus on early intervention: the Hubs will work to engage women and families early. They will also be well connected to universal services and the community and work to prevent family violence at every opportunity.

Address the needs of children and families: the Hubs play a key role in improving services for vulnerable children and families.

State-wide coverage and consistent quality and access to services: no matter where people live, they will have access to a physical Hub. They will also have online and telephone access or an outreach worker. The network of Hubs will be underpinned by an information sharing platform and a consistent, statewide approach to service delivery

Work in partnership with local communities: local leadership will be vital to the success of the Hubs and will inform the understanding of community need and services that work best to address that need.

Whole-of-system response: The Hubs will support all parts of the services system to play their role in an integrated system.

Coordination agency

This agency will establish and oversee the operation of the Support and Safety Hubs. It will support the Hubs, government agencies and funded service providers to respond more effectively to victim survivors, their families and their communities.

It will also support the statewide information sharing platform.

The agency will coordinate the Hubs’ relationships with the courts, Victoria Police and Child Protection so there is a coordinated service response for individuals seeking help.

Coordination Agency Ministerial Board

A dedicated Ministerial Board will oversee the coordination agency and will have responsibility for achieving individual and system level outcomes.